Emma Raducanu Expresses Caution After Stalker Incident

Emma Raducanu has revealed that she feels “wary” while going out following a disturbing encounter with a stalker during the Dubai Duty Free Championships earlier this year.

The 22-year-old experienced an emotional episode, retreating behind the umpire’s chair in tears as she faced persistent unwanted attention from a man exhibiting “fixated behaviour” before and during her second-round match against Karolina Muchova in February.

During that incident, Raducanu shared that she “couldn’t see the ball through tears” and could “barely breathe”. On Sunday, she mentioned that her feelings of unease were intensified by her lack of a full-time coach.

“It was difficult,” Raducanu told BBC Sport. “It was underscored by the fact that I didn’t feel certain or comfortable in my own setup and team, which added to my anxious feelings.

“I’m certainly more cautious when I step outside. I try to maintain awareness as you only truly understand the severity of such situations when you are in one, and I want to avoid going through that again. Currently, off the court, I feel good and settled. I have supportive people around me, and I attempt to dismiss any negative experiences as best I can.”

In her preparations for the grass-court season, Raducanu has lowered her expectations due to ongoing back spasms that have persisted since the French Open. She is set to compete in both singles and doubles alongside Katie Boulter at the HSBC Championships, marking the return of women’s events to the Queen’s Club for the first time since 1973.

Raducanu has been training in west London with Nick Cavaday, her former coach, who she last worked with in January. Mark Petchey is currently occupied with commentary duties at Roland Garros. After taking a five-month hiatus for health reasons, Cavaday returns to assist Raducanu, along with Petchey and Jane O’Donoghue, as she transitions to grass.

“I’m truly pleased to see him healthy again,” Raducanu expressed. “It’s been quite a while since we last practiced together in Australia. With Mark commentating in Paris, it was nice to spend a few days with Nick.”

Raducanu has shown promise on clay, having reached the fourth round at the Italian Open and the second round at the French Open, although she faced defeats against Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek. Expectations for British players often escalate on grass, but the recurring back issues that affected her in Australia and at the French Open have dampened her preparations.

“Naturally, I want to win, like in every tournament, especially at home,” Raducanu commented. “However, my expectations are quite low because I just started playing points today and have only had a couple of days on the grass courts, so it hasn’t been much practice.

“Today marked my first day playing points on grass; it’s still early. I wouldn’t say I’ve had extensive preparation, but I felt fairly good today. Teaming up with Katie for doubles on the grass should provide valuable experience regarding serving, movement, and reaction to the surface.”

“I’ve been managing my back for the past few weeks, and it tends to come and go. I must focus on what I can control and handle any issues as they arise, ensuring I continue with the right approach.”

Last year, Raducanu achieved a semi-final finish in Nottingham, losing to Boulter, and defeated world No. 5 Jessica Pegula on her way to the Eastbourne quarter-finals before advancing to the fourth round at Wimbledon. This year’s schedule is altered due to the integration of a WTA 500 event at Queen’s. After discontinuation in 1973, Queen’s returned in 1977 as a men-only event, but this year features a week-long women’s competition to precede a fortnight of events.

Ten players from the women’s top 20 will participate, with Qinwen Zheng leading the entrants, followed by Madison Keys and Emma Navarro. Defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova, along with former winners Petra Kvitova and Elena Rybakina, will also compete. In addition to Raducanu, fellow British players Boulter, Sonay Kartal, Jodie Burrage, Francesca Jones, and Heather Watson will join the singles draw.

On Monday, Boulter and Raducanu are set to face Wu Fang-hsien and Jiang Xinyu in doubles. This marks a new experience for Raducanu; she previously participated in the 2022 Citi Open alongside Clara Tauson but infamously withdrew from a collaboration with Sir Andy Murray at last year’s Wimbledon. Murray will be present at Queen’s on Monday for the unveiling of the Andy Murray Arena on centre court.

Boulter enters Queen’s after an uplifting clay season, achieving her first tour-level victory on that surface, winning a title at WTA 125 level, and securing her first victory at Roland Garros.

“While I aim to perform well here, I understand this is the beginning for me, and I’m also working towards Wimbledon,” Boulter stated. “There are several weeks ahead before then.”

Kartal also reached the second round at the French Open and will kick off her Queen’s journey on Monday against Daria Kasatkina, while Burrage is slated to face Amanda Anisimova. Boulter will compete against Ajla Tomljanovic, and Raducanu is matched up against Cristina Bucsa in the first round.